Continue......or pack it in? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Continue......or pack it in?

ABCarr

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I haven't ridden since I had a low-side on some gravel in July 2016. Bike suffered some minor damage, but I was able to ride it home from near Burleigh Falls......I parked it in the garage and it sits in the same condition today. I must confess to being truly on the fence about my riding future. I walk by the bike in the garage daily and vacillate between "Geez....I really need to get this thing fixed and get back out there. I miss riding so much" and "Geez....I really need to get this thing fixed so I can get maximum return in a sale. My riding days are over". A bit of background.....I've only been riding since June 2011; I'm 61, married, with a 16-year-old son who is just starting to drive. My bike is a 2011 GSX-R750 with a few minor mods....I absolutely love it and can't even think of riding any other type of bike. My friends, family and riding buddies say "why don't you get yourself a nice cruiser....much safer and more appropriate for someone your age". I say BS.....not for me; no interest at all; I would sooner quit riding than switch to something like that. In honesty, I don't think I'm a "typical" 61-year-old; I'm still fairly fit and sharp; I don't feel that a rest home is in my near future.

In truth, my confidence is somewhat shot; and my sense of mortality and obligation to my family has never been greater. Reading about all the recent fatalities and knuckleheads out there is not helping. This is my second crash.....what's that saying "3 strikes and you're out"? I think I already have an answer in my head, but I'm trying to put it off as long as possible. I really don't expect forum comments to sway me one way or the other.....just curious what the opinions are out there.
 
https://lynart.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/a/

Some ******* is going to argue with me about what PTSD is after I post this but this will give you some insight. I went through the exact same thing you are going through and I know others who have as well.
 
Had an off, had to sit out the rest of the season with a broken wrist a bunch of seasons back. I had the bike fixed before I was healed, once I was back out I was a little tentative but I couldn't see giving it up. I'm now on a track bike as well, when I have an off there I usually just think about the dumb mistake I made to be on the ground and fix it up and keep going that day.

Could be a good track bike for me if the price is right ;) Ultimately it's your call if you can get back out there and ride again and be comfortable and confident.
 
As I was reading your post and taking in the details, I was thinking 'I know this guy...'

I don't have much advice on this but I will go riding with you any day if you do decide to get back on the saddle. I will PM you.

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A cruiser is not inherently safer than an SS. When ridden in the same manner, the SS will be safer as the performance envelope is larger. Obviously if you are using the larger performance envelope, then they are less safe as problems happen at higher speeds.

This is not an easy decision. What did you like about riding? Why not try the track? You have a great bike for it and track fatalities are quite rare. You may get a little banged up, but you still get home to your family.
 
Some options

Go take an advanced riding course.

Take track school.

Go riding with some sensible buddies

Take your time to build back up your confidence. Try and remember what caused the low side, it's rider error. Figure out what you did wrong and correct that. Nothing more terrifying than trying to fix something when you don't know what's wrong.

Don't quit. You love to ride and you love your bike, 61 on a gixxer is awesome. I'm 44 with a track R6. It keeps me sane. However after every off my confidence takes a hit. It does come back, trust me
 
油井緋色;2521394 said:
https://lynart.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/a/

Some ******* is going to argue with me about what PTSD is after I post this but this will give you some insight. I went through the exact same thing you are going through and I know others who have as well.

are you saying you saying you got PTSD after a high side??
 
are you saying you saying you got PTSD after a high side??

Here we go! lol

EDIT: Actually, I'll clarify. I didn't say it, two doctors did. Thought they were on crack until I researched the symptoms.

Just to be clear, PTSD, like all mental illnesses, has a spectrum. You don't need to have a blank 1000 mile stare and refuse to talk to your children to have PTSD. Just like how you don't have to start killing people to have schizophrenia.
 
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I have had to sit out most of this summer after a low side that caused a fractured and dislocated pinky finger. needed surgery to reposition it and then 4 weeks with pins in and still another four weeks in cast now that pins are out. Have certainly gone back and forth in terms of riding again but I think ultimately I will get back on as it is just something i enjoy too much to give up just yet
 
OP, having faced the very real possibility lately of not being physically able to ride anymore, the decision is an easy one.
Buy this is one of those times that you need to take the advice of Canadian rockers Triumph and "follow your heart".

sent from my Purple LGG4 on the GTAM app
 
Op.

Some great advice and I highly recommend it.

Do an advance riding course. It's a great way to have a reason to ride. It's fun. You gain confidence. You'll look forward to it again.

First step. Fix the bloody thing.

It's a sexy beast.

Start her up and smell the exhaust.

Not sure when the next course is but I'd do some research and look into that before selling.

If not, it's ok. Sell and buy a different toy. Doesn't have to be a motorcycle.

And as it's been mentioned, the track is a great place to rekindle things. The street sucks for a lot of riders and many track only.

Me? My wife rides with me 2 up so a sport bike isn't in the cards. She hates being on the back of anything other than a cruiser. Lol.

But I have to admit, have both on the same machine, something happens and it affects both of us in one shot.

Considering what happened to a fellow rider in NL, that gives me great pause heading out for a little trip together. We actually haven't gone out together for a long while.

This weekend might happen but, I can tell you I know how you feel. And I've had some things happen that shake my confidence at times.


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Maybe some off road riding might help with confidence. I find I ride better on asphalt after I've been riding a bit on gravel and dirt. My bike is made for this though so that helps. If I see gravel in corners I still get the panics....unless I've been riding dirt and gravel prior to that and felt my wheels squirming around.
 
I'm older than you OP and have my doubt days. Hearing bad news and having to traverse Mississauga and Peel to get into open roads are factors. However once out there the feeling comes back.

My riding has also been affected by toomuchstuffitis. I'm taking therapy for it and it mainly consists of saying "No" over and over again.

Fix the bike. The damage is a boogie man out to mess with your head.
 
I haven't ridden much since retirement, I still like the fact I can jump on the bike if I want to,get the bike fixed if you get on and itif it feels right your good to go,or then sell it.
 
3 years into riding I was hit head on and broke my wrist among other things including totaling my bike (a 450cc nighthawk). 3 days later a ninja 1000 replaced it in my garage. Many of us have dropped our bikes many more than 3x and with that I say hell... good things come in threes!

You strike out one day and you hit a home run the next - all we can do is play the game.
 
I don't want to be that guy but...it's been over a year and you haven't fixed the bike. It's a done deal. If you truly wanted to be back out there you would be and wouldn't even be asking the question. Zero shame in that, we all have to ask ourselves is the risk worth it. The enjoyment has to out weigh the potential negative and when it doesn't it's time to pack it in.

Another opinion, don't sell your bike and buy a cruiser thinking it's safer. It isn't and it 100% doesn't feel any safer. If anything I feel more vulnerable.
 
You already know the answer. Keep the bike (insured if you have the money to throw away) and use whatever spare time you have getting it ready to sell. Once you have it looking great again you may want to take one last run around the block (that's why you kept it insured). That moment will give you your real answer.

I could tell you my story but you don't need to know that to know how you feel about everything.
 
Follow your heart man, bottom line.

If you actually ride a bike farther than the corner store you`re going eventually to go down on it, period. It may not be your fault, you may do everything right but still you'll go down. I think this is one of the facts of owning a bike that we all have to come to terms with. We can only pray and sharpen our skillset so we know how to react and come out of it with everything intact.

You own a great bike, if the streets are not in your future then why not take it to the track a few times a year? You can get on the jam hard in a contained environment and (hopefully) ride within your limits.

Best of luck either way.
 
OP, I'm 50 and have found myself to have lost some enthusiasm -- let's put it that way. Some of it is brought about by some of the horrific stories we've seen lately (i.e. what happened to Oomis down east, the 507 crash and the resulting loss of limbs and other life-altering injuries). Some is brought about by the actions of drivers I deal with every time I ride, mostly drivers distracted by their cell phones. Then there's never-ending construction; detours, shredded roads, gravel and dirt everywhere... I almost low-sided yesterday on the Tuono; a nearby asphalt country road I like to frequent had been resurfaced, unbeknownst to me until the last second, with a coating of very fine, grey gavel-y like material. I wasn't racing, trying to drag a knee or anything stupid like that, just turning onto the road from an 80kph secondary and seeing this situation mid-lean. Scared the piss out of me.

The accident stories contribute to a bit of a pathos already have, where an inner-monologue runs as I gear up, asking what life would be like in a wheelchair or without a leg or ... That and the other stuff takes some of the fun out of riding.

But then there are those times I find that "zone", where I'm out alone, the temperature is just right and the sun is at just right angle, the road a smooth, flowing ribbon and the bike is buzzing happily beneath me responding with a satisfying tug at the reigns. For me, it's nirvana in those moments.

It sounds to me like you still want to ride but have been understandably spooked by your off. Only you know if you can rekindle your passion -- the same passion you no doubt felt when you wrote the cheque for the 750 -- and find your "moments" on two wheels. I say give it a go; fix her up, go find a quiet road and get to know her again.
 
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油井緋色;2521405 said:
Here we go! lol

EDIT: Actually, I'll clarify. I didn't say it, two doctors did. Thought they were on crack until I researched the symptoms.

Just to be clear, PTSD, like all mental illnesses, has a spectrum. You don't need to have a blank 1000 mile stare and refuse to talk to your children to have PTSD. Just like how you don't have to start killing people to have schizophrenia.

here we go??? i guess its not the first time you've been told this claim is ridiculous...

either way, doctors often like to label things so the patient has piece of mind, for example: all of a sudden every kid with excess energy has ADD or ADHD, and every adult that experiences anxiety has PTSD. Yes I get it PTSD sounds a lot better than anxiety and a lot more noble because soldiers that went thru battle get it instead neurotic housewives who often suffer from anxiety.

i've gone down at the track before and have experienced some anxiety in the following sessions or track days, but got it out of my system after a while, it doesnt mean I have PTSD from a recreational accident...

I'm not looking to start a long winded argument about this, just something for you to think about

as far as the OP is concerned, if you haven't bothered to fix your bike in over a year...............well like you said, you already know the answer
 

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